World news | The Guardian

Number of suspects revised upwards to 52, 23 of whom are currently in custody, and more police raids are plannedGermanyis trying to get the measure of how imminent a threat to the state was posed by the rightwing terror ring exposed on Wednesday, as police made further arrests in connection with the coup plot.In their biggest ever raid targeting rightwing extremists, German authorities arrested 25 people suspected of plotting to overthrow the government, install a shadow regime led by a 71-year-old aristocrat, and seek talks with Russia to renegotiate its post-second world war settlement. Continue reading...

Duke and Duchess of Sussex say in Netflix series that media is ‘destroying us’ for calling out racismThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex have accused the media of “destroying” them before they left the UK, and said the royal family failed to understand that Harry’s future bride required protection, in interviews aired in a Netflix documentary.The royal family questioned why Meghan should be “protected” following racist headlines and stalking by paparazzi after news of their relationship broke in 2016, Prince Harry said. Continue reading...

Action ‘could cost hospitality sector £1.5bn in lost sales’ in peak season as it continues to struggle with rising costsHotels, restaurants and pubs expect more than a third of their bookings to be cancelled this month as the threat of rail strikes during the peak Christmas party period hits trade.The trade body UKHospitality said it expected the strikes to cost businesses about £1.5bn in lost sales and other knock-on effects, with a lack of a breakthrough deal pushing up expected cancellations to between 35% and 40% from between 20% and 30% at present. Continue reading...

Two refused countries will try again after Austria raised concerns about unauthorised immigrationCroatia has been given the green light to join Europe’s open travel zone, but Bulgaria and Romania were kept out because of opposition led by Austria over concerns about unauthorised immigration.Croatia was cleared to become the Schengen zone’s 27th member after talks between the bloc’s interior ministers in Brussels. From 2023, people will not have to stop for border checks as they pass between Croatia and the rest of the zone. Continue reading...

MP for Solihull in the West Midlands says he has been targeted by rumours and ‘threats involving blackmail’The MP Julian Knight has vehemently rejected any wrongdoing after the Conservative party removed the whip following a complaint about him to the Metropolitan police, saying he had been targeted by unfounded rumours, and potentially blackmail.The MP for Solihull in the West Midlands, who chairs the Commons digital, culture, media and sport select committee, lost the whip after a complaint about him was made on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Data shows 13 under-15s in England, one in Northern Ireland and one in Wales have died since SeptemberFifteen children under the age of 15 have now died in the UK from the invasive strep A illness, figures show.Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows 13 children under 15 have died of strep A in England since September. Two other such child deaths have been recorded in Northern Ireland and Wales, taking the UK total to 15. Continue reading...

Many papers denouncing royal couple for making Netflix documentary use series to pull in readersThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix documentary is highly critical of the British media – but the programme is sending millions of readers to the same news outlets they criticise in the film.Many of the newspapers that have denounced the royal couple for making a Netflix documentary about themselves are also providing wall-to-wall coverage about the contents of the same documentary. Continue reading...

Girls’ participation in football up dramatically in five years, and children now as active as before pandemicThere are now 100,000 more girls playing football than there were five years ago, according to an annual survey of children’s fitness by Sport England, which also found secondary school girls are more active than they have ever been.Overall, children’s activity levels have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, but the Active Lives survey revealed that not all groups have made the same progress, with children aged seven to nine lagging behind, their activity levels still 4.5% below where they were before Covid. Continue reading...

Two brothers, aged 13 and 15, were arrested at Shortlands station after one of them failed to produce an Oyster cardA woman whose two children were arrested after one had forgotten their Oyster card has said that they were treated with disproportionate force because of the colour of their skin.The two brothers, aged 13 and 15, were making their way to school on Monday when they were stopped by rail staff because the 13-year-old did not have an Oyster card with him. Continue reading...

Exclusive: comments by diplomat involved in recent Manchester clash appeared threatening, student saysA senior Chinese diplomat involved in the recent violence against pro-democracy protesters in Manchester has suggested Chinese students in Britain should “resist distorting and discrediting” China’s Covid policies.The comments by China’s consul general in Manchester, Zheng Xiyuan, at a symposium to discuss the work of international students were said by Lyndon Lee, 23, a second-year law student at York University, to appear threatening. Continue reading...

Review of passenger operations by regulator paints damning picture of growing north-south divideCancellations and punctuality for train companies operating in northern England including Avanti West Coast worsened sharply this summer, despite them scheduling far fewer train services, statistics from the rail regulator reveal.A review of passenger train operators’ performance by the Office of Rail and Road showed that TransPennine Express and Northern both culled more than 15% of their timetable from the previous summer, far more than any other operators in the UK. Continue reading...

Premium holidays and low-cost locations such as Turkey more resilient than three-star resorts, says travel firm On the BeachHoliday bookings for three-star destinations are starting to drop as households hit by the cost of living crisis cut back amid surging bills, according to the travel company On the Beach.The online travel retailer said that while premium bookings by customers with deeper pockets were proving “resilient”, holidaymakers who traditionally would book cheaper trips had been forced to rein in their spending. Continue reading...

Home secretary warns of ‘undeniable, serious disruption’ if Border Force strikes go ahead

Exclusive: Men and women coming in with shotgun wounds to different parts of bodies, doctors sayIranian security forces are targeting women at anti-regime protests with shotgun fire to their faces, breasts and genitals, according to interviews with medics across the country.Doctors and nurses – treating demonstrators in secret to avoid arrest – said they first observed the practice after noticing that women often arrived with different wounds to men, who more commonly had shotgun pellets in their legs, buttocks and backs. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. You can read our latest story on the couple’s documentary here:

Many shielded from rising food and energy costs continue to spend as Flannels and Jack Wills owner unveils 53% profit riseMike Ashley’s Frasers Group defied retail gloom in its first half as younger shoppers more shielded from the cost of living crisis continued to spend, including at its fast-growing designer chain Flannels.The group, which owns several chains including Sports Direct and House of Fraser, said younger people, which make up a large proportion of the group’s shoppers, were still prepared to spend on clothes as they were more protected from rising energy bills, mortgage rates and even food costs. Continue reading...

Andrew Whitecross says he fiercely criticised the proposal and questioned its legality in the scheme’s initial plan

Companies brace for bills to double but no sector knows yet which will qualify for helpBritain’s biggest business group has urged ministers to quickly decide which industries will receive energy support from next spring as hundreds of companies brace for their bills to more than double.The Confederation of British Industry called on the government to urgently set out details of how it plans to extend the energy bill relief scheme for firms with large bills beyond March 2023. The scheme, which discounts the wholesale cost of energy for all companies, charities and public sector organisations, was introduced in October to replicate the support offered to households in cushioning the shock from rapidly rising energy bills. Continue reading...

Former SNP Commons leader claims he would have seen off his detractors had he sought reelectionIan Blackford has said he could have won the SNP’s race to elect a new Westminster leader if he had put himself forward.Speaking to TalkTV on Wednesday evening, Blackford, who stepped down as the party’s Westminster leader last week, told Jeremy Kyle: “I could have seen this off, I believe I would have won if I’d put myself forward.” Continue reading...

MP for Solihull and chair of DCMS committee has had Tory whip removed ‘with immediate effect’The Conservatives have removed the whip from Julian Knight after a complaint was made to the Metropolitan police.The chief whip, Simon Hart, removed the Tory whip, meaning Knight no longer sits in the Commons as a Conservative, after the complaint was made on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Former health secretary’s exit from politics may have been on the cards since he was snubbed day Rishi Sunak became PMHours after Rishi Sunak was declared Conservative leader, he arrived at the party’s headquarters in central London, where he was met by a crowd of beaming, cheering supporters.As he walked up the steps to the door, he stopped to shake hands and hug a waiting line of Tory MPs who had stood by his side throughout the summer leadership contest against Liz Truss and her disastrous early days in office. Continue reading...

Human rights ombudsman decries ‘alarming and unprecedented figure’ owing to attacked by illegal armed groups tied to drug tradeColombia will end the year with at least 199 killings of social leaders and human rights defenders – the highest level recorded – due to attacks by illegal armed groups in areas tied to the drug trade, the country’s human rights ombudsman has said.In the first eleven months of the year, 199 people were murdered, higher than the total number of social leaders and rights defenders killed in 2021 and 2020, when 145 people and 182 people were killed respectively, the ombudsman said. Continue reading...

PCS union announces action that will affect UK’s busiest airports including Heathrow and Gatwick

Former health secretary’s letter to PM prompts debate over whether he is going voluntarily or being forced out

Necrophiliac’s jail term increased after pleading guilty to sexually abusing bodies of 23 more women aged between 45 and 92A double killer who sexually abused the bodies of at least 101 women and girls in hospital mortuaries was described as “sick and twisted” by victims’ families as he was sentenced for further depraved acts.David Fuller, 68, is already serving a whole-life sentence for the sexually motivated murders of Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, in two separate attacks in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in 1987. Continue reading...

After cancelling in-person events for the 2022 edition, the Utah-based festival will return to physical screenings for the first time since 2020Next month’s Sundance film festival will see a return to in-person premieres with new films featuring Anne Hathaway, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.The Utah-based festival has been online only since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and while this year’s was set to be a physical-digital hybrid, the rise of the Omicron variant meant that it was cancelled at the last minute. There will still be a digital component to 2023’s edition but a large number of films will only be available to watch on the ground. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can read more on this story hereEveryone is hard up at the moment – including the Conservative party, it seems. According to Bloomberg’s Alex Wickham, the party is raising membership fees by 56%.This morning Steve Barclay said Rishi Sunak was taking “a very strong stand in terms of the priority of getting inflation down”. (See 10.02am.) But not for Tory members, it seems. Continue reading...

President says potential of nuclear war more likely but Russia has ‘not gone crazy’ and will not use nuclear weapons first

Transport secretary refuses to deny reports government stipulation may have scuppered pay dealRail strikes could go on another six months after an overwhelming vote from train drivers to continue industrial action, as controversy mounted over whether the government scuppered a deal with unions.The drivers’ union, Aslef, said they were “in it for the long haul” and the percentage of the vote in favour of strikes across 12 operating companies was higher than before. Continue reading...

The powerful – and polarising – vice-president was sentenced to six years for fraud and now will not seek the presidency next yearFor decades, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner dominated Argentina’s political landscape: as a senator, first lady, president and then vice-president. But on Tuesday she was sentenced to six years in prison in a verdict, which if upheld on appeal, will also ban her from holding public office for the rest of her life.Fernández immediately announced that she would not run for president, or any other kind of elected office, in the 2023 elections. The court’s ruling appeared to have abruptly sidelined the country’s most powerful – and most polarising – politician since Juan and Eva Perón, leaving many Argentinians wondering: what will come next? Continue reading...

Minor aristocrat, an ex-paratrooper and a former AfD MP among those detained in operation

Covid-19 resulted in a drop in chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnoses, the Kirby Institute says, but worrying increase in syphilis

Health secretary says government ‘not aware’ of issue but some independent outlets say stocks running low

The company, which still owns stock in Russian oil, is being pressured to sever all ties with the countryBP should donate its “wartime profits” in Russia to the reconstruction of Ukraine or ministers should impose a special windfall tax on the oil company to force it to do so, MPs have told parliament.The British oil supermajor has a 19.75% stake in Rosneft, one of the Kremlin’s most important oil assets and signalled its intent to exit Russia nine months ago, after Russia invaded Ukraine. Continue reading...

Unnamed suspect, 28, bailed after incident during monarch’s visit to Luton on WednesdayA man has been charged with a public order offence after an egg was allegedly thrown at the king during a walkabout.Bedfordshire police refused to disclose the name of the suspect after the incident outside Luton town hall on Tuesday. Continue reading...

After Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped by a colleague in a minister’s office, a mistrial and media scrutiny have failed to answer key questionsIt is a case that has shaken Australian politics to its core. An allegation of rape in the nation’s parliament, levelled by a government staffer against a colleague, has led to senior ministers appearing before court, triggered a slew of internal reviews and forced a reckoning over the gendered dynamic and toxic atmosphere plaguing an ecosystem devoid of workplace protections.While Brittany Higgins’ story has become a mainstay of Australia’s political discourse, in recent days it has taken an extraordinary turn. Last week, before a retrial after the first was abandoned due to juror misconduct, the prosecution of the accused man, Bruce Lehrmann, was aborted out of concern for Higgins’ mental health. Continue reading...

Online card retailer expects revenues of £320m rather than £350m as Royal Mail strikes also have effectThe personalised card retailer Moonpig has warned sales will be lower than expected this year as cash-strapped shoppers shifted to lower-priced gifts and Royal Mail postal strikes hit its business.The British firm said trading conditions had become progressively more challenging in October and November because of “macroeconomic uncertainty” and the run of industrial action by postal workers. Continue reading...

Peak medical body says mask mandates should be considered and calls for ‘plan that relies on more than vaccination’

Laura Hand-Ross says party’s opposition to constitutional recognition is an ‘insult’ that has caused disquiet in the community

Poorly insulated Northern Territory houses that people can’t afford to cool can rise to dangerous temperatures

Pro-choice activists are focusing on expanding abortion access, voter registration and education, and shield laws for providersRenee Bracey Sherman answers the phone and apologizes – is it OK if we speak while she drives? Like many abortion advocates, she tends to keep a packed schedule and talk at lightning speed – the next initiative, the next law, the next policy on the horizon. Ask advocates how they felt in June after the Dobbs decision sharply curtailed reproductive rights across the US, or in November after wins in the midterm elections signaled strong public support for abortion, and they’ll answer immediately: We knew this was coming; but the fight’s not over.What Bracey Sherman – founder and executive director of We Testify, a group focused on the leadership and representation of people who have abortions – and her colleagues in the pro-choice movement don’t spend much time doing is elaborating on the past, or how they mourned or celebrated, because it’s already in the rear-view window. Their eyes are laser-focused on the future. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Gareth Quarry, who now donates to Labour, says Conservatives have trashed their reputation

Labour promises extra help and says rise is due to years of underinvestment in health and social careWorsening health in Britain has led the number of new disability benefit claims to double in the past year, according to a report.The Institute for Fiscal Studies said claims for the personal independence payment (Pip) benefit had doubled to 30,000 a month between the summer of 2021 and July this year, with no sign of slowing. Continue reading...

Plan will flood neighbourhoods subjected to extortion by criminal groups in two largest cities for next 30 daysAuthorities in Honduras will partially suspend constitutional rights as part of an effort to combat an apparent rise in extortion, raising fears of human rights violations and warnings of creeping authoritarianism in Central America.Under the plan, which will come into effect late on Tuesday and will be in effect for at least 30 days, thousands of security forces will be deployed to 162 gang-infested neighborhoods in the country’s two largest cities, San Pedro Sula and the capital, Tegucigalpa. Continue reading...

Campaigners seeking abolition of year 6 Sats staged event at which children invigilated tests on parliamentariansMPs and peers tasked with completing a year 6 Satss exam have scored lower results on average than the country’s 10-year-olds.MPs including Commons education select committee chair Robin Walker took part in the exams, invigilated by 11-year-olds, at a Westminster event organised by More Than A Score, who campaign for the tests to be scrapped. Continue reading...

Moscow accuses Ukraine of ‘nuclear terrorism’; Kremlin spokesperson says there is no prospect for negotiations with Kyiv at the moment

Eleanor Williams tells Preston jury she met Mohammed Ramzan at 12 and that he later became her ‘boyfriend’A woman accused of lying about being trafficked and sexually exploited by an Asian grooming gang has told a court she was in love with the alleged ringleader.Eleanor Williams, 22, from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, finally gave evidence at Preston crown court on Tuesday, two months into her trial for perverting the course of justice. Continue reading...

Hazim Mustafa says he paid $380,000 for cattle at South African president’s ranch in 2019A Sudanese businessman has confirmed that he made the payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars for cattle at the centre of the scandal threatening to unseat South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa.The embattled president launched legal action on Monday to challenge a report handed over last week by an independent panel appointed by parliament that accused him of serious misconduct after the theft from his private game ranch of a sum reported to be between $500,000 (£410,000) and $5m in cash almost three years ago. Continue reading...

Network files formal request against Israel over shooting of Palestinian-American journalist in West BankAl Jazeera television network has filed a formal request to the international criminal court against Israeli forces over the killing of the veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.Abu Akleh was shot in the head during an Israeli raid in a refugee camp on the outskirts of the occupied West Bank city of Jenin in May, while wearing a helmet and flak jacket that clearly indicated she was a member of the press. Several investigations by human rights organisations, as well as international news outlets and the UN, have concluded that Abu Akleh, 51, was shot by an Israeli soldier. Her colleague Ali al-Samoudi survived after being shot in the shoulder. Continue reading...